1. Field
The present application relates generally to a livestock feeding device, and more particularly, to a livestock feeder for retaining feed material so that livestock, such as, for example, horses, cattle, sheep, and the like, can consume the feed material while being restrained from wasting the feed material.
2. Description of Related Art
Previously, feed materials may have been placed on the ground in a pile for animals such as horses, cattle, sheep, and the like to feed on. However, a relatively large quantity of the feed material could be wasted by spoilage or trampling by the animals. Conventional feeders have been used to feed round roll-type hay bales and other feed material to livestock in an effort to reduce feed waste. Some conventional feeders may include a circular metal frame having a plurality of horizontally spaced-apart bars positioned thereon which enable the animals to insert their heads therethrough to gain access to the feed material but which are spaced closely enough to prevent the animal from entering the interior of the feeder.
Feeders are typically designed to provide animals with accessibility to the feed material and to minimize feed loss from waste and spoilage. However, even with the use of some conventional feeders, a major cause of feed loss is the removal of feed material from the feeder by the feeding animals where the feed material may then be trampled by the animals or otherwise wasted. This may occur when the animal removes feed material from the feed source and allows loose feed material to fall to the ground.
While conventional feeders have been used in efforts to minimize feed waste, there are a number of problems that can be associated with the conventional feeders designed to be used with livestock. These problems include allowing the animals the ability to waste portions of the feed material by dropping these portions directly on the ground while feeding. Another problem is that some feeders allow the animals to access the feed material at almost any point along the height of the feeder. When animals are given such access to the feed material, the material may be pushed to one side or the other and allow for a portion of the feed to be pushed out of the feeder and onto the ground. Yet another problem with conventional feeders is that the animals, which would naturally graze on ground vegetation, may access the feed at elevated positions along a side of a feeder. This results in an unnatural feeding posture for the animal that may result in injury.
This problem has to some extent been reduced by the manufacture of feeders which basically comprise a cylindrical frame within which the feed material is placed, the frame including a number of upright bars which prevent the animal from entering the frame while allowing the animal to place its head through the bars to grasp the feed material for eating. However, there remain significant losses with a device of this type. The animal tends to place its head into the frame arrangement to grasp the feed and then tends to remove its head from the frame to eat the feed and in some cases drops feed material onto the ground around its feet which becomes trampled and wasted. Significant quantities of dropped feed can thus be lost to spoilage and rot from ground contact. Also, due to the large vertical openings, or lack of shielding at the bottom of conventional feeders, certain amounts of feed material are sorted through and pushed out of the sides of the feeder.
The prior art includes various feeders addressing some or all of the aforementioned design considerations. For example the Payne U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,345 discloses a livestock feeder with upright leg members interconnected by horizontal retainer members forming annular rings defining an enclosure for feed material.
In order to further eliminate hay waste, Delichte (U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,609) teaches a rigid hay bale feeder having an inner frame within which the cylindrical bale is confined, and an outer frame separated a fixed distance from the inner frame to prevent or to limit access to the hay bale by the animals. Some waste is eliminated because much of the hay that drops from the animal's mouth as it tears at the hay bale is dropped back into the feeder for later feeding instead of falling to the ground to be trampled and wasted. Delichte, however, suffers from a number of disadvantages due to its rigid design and structural form. When animals pull a portion of the bale out of the inner frame, they should place their heads between the upright bars of the outer frame. The animals are more likely to bump their heads against the outer frame. Conventional feeders may also allow access to the upper portions of the feed material. As animals eat from the upper portion, the bottom feeding area may become full rather quickly, and overflow resulting in further feed waste.
Some feeders have been designed to hold a portion of the feed material aloft and out of reach of the animals. Such feeders force the animals to reach horizontally or even upwardly to access the feed material. Unfortunately, it is possible in such feeders for the animal to feed on a lower portion of the feed material and undermine the feed material held aloft. In some cases, the lofted feed material may shift downward and onto the animal's head causing injury or trapping the animal and potentially leading to death of the animal.
It is evident from the above discussion that an ongoing need exists for an improved feeder for livestock.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.